TMG is seeking a Creative Lead to serve as the firm's senior in-house creative resource - a role that spans hands-on motion and digital design, direct client-facing work, and firm-wide creative support for teams across TMG. This person is as fluent in animated GIFs and HTML5 display banners as they are in building a polished pitch deck, a client-ready report, or an executive's presentation on short notice. They're trusted to own client relationships directly rather than working solely through a manager.

Beyond day-to-day design execution, this person will help shape how TMG pitches and sells creative services: joining new-business conversations, scoping creative deliverables, and identifying opportunities to expand the creative work TMG does for existing clients.

This is a hands-on design role, a business-development role, and a firm-wide creative resource all at once. This role may occasionally require extended or flexible hours to meet client and project deadlines.

Applicants for the Creative Lead position must submit a portfolio that clearly demonstrates a range of high-quality design work. Your portfolio should reflect both technical proficiency and strategic design thinking, with a focus on versatility and execution across formats.

Please include:

• A diverse collection of work across digital, social, animated, and print design
• At least two examples of motion or animated work (e.g., animated social GIFs, HTML5 display banners, or short-form video/motion graphics)
• At least one example of brand identity development, pitch/presentation design, or multi-format campaign assets
• At least one example of a presentation, report, or deck built for internal or executive use to demonstrate range beyond digital/social work
• Examples of work built or presented for an external client where you were the primary or sole client contact, including how you handled feedback, pushback, or revisions in real time
• Projects that showcase creative problem-solving, design systems thinking, and leadership in execution
• Descriptions of your role in each piece, including whether you were the sole designer, creative lead, or part of a team

A link to your portfolio must be included with your application (PDF or web-based). Applications without a portfolio will not be considered.

Key Responsibilities

Design & Motion
• Lead the design and animation of digital assets, with a primary focus on animated social content (GIFs, Reels/short-form video) and HTML5/rich-media display advertising, alongside social graphics, email creatives, pitch decks, and print
• Maintain and evolve visual identity systems, including brand style guides, pitch decks, and scalable design templates
• Stay ahead of visual and motion trends and proactively propose new formats and content ideas

Client & Business Development
• Serve as lead creative point of contact on select client accounts, presenting work directly, articulating creative rationale, and managing feedback and revisions with minimal oversight
• Participate in new-business pitches and proposals, helping scope creative deliverables, timelines, and budgets for prospective clients
• Identify opportunities to expand creative scope with existing clients (e.g., proposing new formats, campaigns, or service lines that grow the relationship)
• Collaborate effectively across strategy, digital, and communications teams within TMG to ensure creative work supports broader campaign goals

Firm-Wide Creative Support
• Serve as the go-to creative resource for teams across TMG, building presentations, pitch decks, reports, infographics, and polished emails for strategy, communications, and firm leadership as needed
• Translate dense written content (research findings, strategy memos, client reports) into clear, visually compelling decks and documents
• Maintain a consistent visual standard across firm-wide materials so that decks, reports, and emails feel unmistakably "TMG" regardless of which team produced the request
• Help establish and manage an intake process for firm-wide creative requests, balancing Digital team priorities against requests from other departments

Process & Growth
• Support pitch and proposal design for new business opportunities
• Provide creative direction or feedback to freelancers or contract designers brought on for overflow work, as needed
• Manage multiple concurrent design projects and deadlines independently, with minimal day-to-day direction

Required Skills

• Strong motion design skills with demonstrated experience producing animated GIFs, HTML5/rich-media display ads, and short-form animated or video content for paid and organic social
• Advanced presentation-design skills in PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Keynote, with the ability to turn dense or technical content into clear, polished decks quickly and under deadline pressure
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects) and/or Canva
• Experience developing content for Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, and programmatic/display ad platforms, including familiarity with platform-specific ad specs and file-size constraints
• Proven track record owning client relationships end-to-end - not just presenting finished work, but leading client conversations, fielding pushback in real time, and being trusted by internal teams to represent TMG's creative point of view without oversight
• Comfort scoping creative deliverables for proposals - translating a client ask into formats, timelines, and level of effort
• Ability to work across multiple internal teams and stakeholders at once, prioritizing competing requests without losing quality or missing deadlines
• Strong portfolio showcasing brand, campaign, motion, digital, and presentation/deck design work
• Able to work independently and collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in graphic design and motion/animation, preferably in an agency, brand, or campaign environment
• Demonstrated client ownership: candidates should be able to speak to specific instances of leading a client relationship solo, including moments of pushback or difficult feedback.

Preferred (Not Required)

• Experience contributing to new-business pitches, proposals, or scopes of work
• Working knowledge of HTML5 ad-building tools (e.g., Google Web Designer) for building rich-media banners
• Proficiency in photo editing, retouching, and color correction to enhance asset quality
• Familiarity with captioning and subtitle standards for accessibility in digital content
• Working knowledge of Digital Asset Management (DAM) tools for organizing, tagging, and versioning creative files
• Basic understanding of HTML/CSS and how design translates into front-end development
• Experience collaborating with web developers, ensuring that creative assets work across devices and platforms
• Comfort working in fast-paced, sprint-style environments, using project tools like Asana, ClickUp, or Trello

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience; plus a discretionary bonus, if applicable
• Salary range: $100,000-$125,000 USD, based on experience and technical depth
• Healthcare (medical, dental, vision) for you and your family.
• Paid time off (PTO), federal holidays, and end-of-year break.
• Paid parental leave.
• Professional development budget, gym/cell stipend, and 401K with employer match.

Work Environment

This position is based in our Washington, DC office with a hybrid schedule (3 days in-office, 2 days remote). Hybrid schedules are subject to change based on business needs. Occasional travel may be required. TMG offers a collaborative and high-energy environment with the opportunity to grow and do meaningful work.